Wire-stretching device.



C. J. H. PENNING.

WIRE STRETCHING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED Oct. 29. 19:1.

1,292,867. Patented Janp28, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- C. J. H. PENNING.

WIRE STRETCHING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29. 1911.

1,292,867. Patented Jan. 28,1919

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Winks-sea CORN'ELIS J. H. PENNING, OF UMFOLOZI RIVER,-ZULULAND, SOUTH AFRICA.

WIRE STRETCI-IING' DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 28:, 1919.

Application fi1ed-0ctober29, 1917. SeriaINo. 199,159:

To allwhom it may concem:

Be: it. known that. I, Cont nue JoAN-NEs HUGO.- PENNING, asubject of Her. Majesty the Queen of Holland, and resident of Umfolozi River, Zululand, South Africa, have invented certainnew and usefulImprovements in Wire-Stretching. Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This sinvention relates? to improvements in wire stretohingtandlwire connecting devices applicable for: use in connection withfencing wires, staywires, telephone, telegraph,-o1'- other electrical wires-and for all purposeswhere: a wire, rope or the like requires stretching or; tightening; between two p oints.

Thepri-mary object of this-invention is to provide a: stretching; device which canbe placed. on any part zof a wire, rope,-,or' the like requiring stretching, afterthiswire rope or such likehas beenfixed: between two points. stretching. arrangement, whichv combines great strength with-lightness-and can be easilymanipulated' to highly: tension very stiff wires: such assteelpiano wires, barbed wire or wire ropes.

A further object is to provide anarrangement whereby itis possible to connect; two wires-,aor repairquicklyabroken fencewire, stay wire, or the-liken Astillfurther object is to so. construct the stretcher. that it will be self looking on the wire.

According; to; thisinvention the wire stretching: device comprises a guide orframe for engaging-:tliewire-and a stretcher adapted-to engage the wire and be turned or rotated about the said guide to. stretch the wire on the like, .the said guide permitting. a high tension to .beobtainedon the wire without. the stretcher side-slipping ortwisting out of alinement therewith.

I will now. describemy invention with reference to:the accompanying drawings in Fi' ire 1 .is .an elevation; Eig. 2zisa plan and ig-. 3 is a sectional elevation ofone form of guide or frame constructed accord ing :to-this invention.

Rig-.4 isaan .elevationandFig. 5 is a plan of one-form of stretcher-7..

Figs. 6 and I 7 are side and :end elevations respectively of a-modifiedform of stretcher forheavy-wires.

Figs; Sand 9 are. sideand-end elevations respectively of a modifiedform of'guide or Another object is to. provide a:

frame for permanently attaching to. the

wire 5 Fig. 10 isa diagram showing; two guides for securing anlinsertedilengtlrofi wire;

Fig 11 is a View of guidein halves for heavy wires or steel ropes.

Referring first toFigs. 1 to 3,,aguide or frame a is provided, with holes or slits through which thewi-re b, or rope, ,is guided: The shape of:thisguide or frame is optional,

and it may be made ofone or more pieces.

In this guide orframe an axial openinggor beari-ngd is provided in'v which the actual stretching. device a ismounted and turned. Once the stretcher e is inlplace, andthe wire 6 or ropetaut, the guideor frame a is-re-' moved-.-

The guide or frame a may comprise a cylindrical handle portion to be gripped" in one hand, which handle portion is ofcup form and'rec'essed atlone end to form a-bearing (Z for the winding pin-=ordrum 9, and

diametricallyopposed slots to I guide the wire or rope. These slots 0 may bestraight or axial in direction or bayonet joint shapedlas shown-at 0" so as to. give-a better guidance.

The actual stretching device 6, preferably formed in one piece, consists of abar bent at one end toform awinding pin ordrum g, provided with a transverse/hole or sl'ot h, or other. engaging means-to receive'thewire b; a lever or crank e providedat-one end of -this pinordrum 9, andalocking arrangement or catch i'provid'ed' at the-other end-of this leven e. The winding endfg and':tl1e. catch end 2' are both preferably disposedat right anglesto. the'main portion ofthe stretcher and lie-inthe-samo plane with each other, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In thesefiguresa notch or; sawoutisprovided at the endi into which the" wire isadapted to be insertedto hold the stretcher in position.

The windingpin or drum 9 of-the-stretchingdevioe is; adapted to be revolved in the opening or bearing. d of the guide a, and to shortenthewire b or rope by windingzit up when the lever is turned. Vvhenltherequired tension is reached, the locking arrangement z' serves to.lock-the winding drum in place by restingiagainstthe taut wire I) or rope.

In using: thisstretching. device, the guide or frame a is takeninonehandandplaced on the slack wire '7), the-wire passing through the bayonet slotc therein and over the hearing opemng (I. The drum orv pin 9 of the stretching device 6 is then inserted in the bearing d, the wire or rope b passing through the slit h in the drum 9. The stretching de vice e is then turned around so that the wire or rope b is wound on the drum 9, and when the required tension has been attained the lever 6 is then looked on the wire 6 by the said wire engaging in the notch i. The guide or frame a is then removed and the stretcher 6 remains on the wire I). In practice it has been found that the slit h is automatically closed by the wire coiling around the drum 9. If the Wire requires further tightening, the guide or frame a can be replaced, and the drum 9 further wound up.

, To connect two wires the two ends are passed through the guide and the stretcher slipped over both wires and applied as be fore. When the stretcher is in place the guide can be removed.

In a modified construction of the invention as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the stretch-,

ing device 6 may be formed as a longitudinal bar of metal carrying the winding drum 9 at one end, which latter is formed with a slot h whose edges may be rounded off. Arranged at the other end of the bar is the locking device 2' preferably consisting of a small hook j which grips over the wire and which can be closed or bent around the wire for a fixture.

If desired holes may be provided in the guide or drum in the place of slits to take the wire or rope but in this case the guide or drum must be slipped onto the wire or rope before this is fastened between the fixed points and the guide must remain in place if provided with holes instead of with slits. In Figs. 8 and 9 the guide a. is in the form of a tube provided with tWo diametrically opposed holes d in the sides so stamped out as to form a double bearing for the stretcher 6. This guide can be stamped from sheet metal. These guides are especially suitable for repair work to wires as shown in Fig. 10. The guides can be held, when turning the stretcher, by a paif of pincers.

The guide when intended for use with heavy wire ropes may be made as shown in Fig. 11 in two halves in the form of an elongated boX Z having slots 0 at the two opposite ends to provide guides for the wire Z) and slots cl at the opposite sides to form a double bearing for the winding drum. The halves of the box Z are adapted to slide one in the other to hold the wire I) and are secured by pins on passing through holes 7% in each of the halves of the box.

What I claim is 1. In a device of the character described, a frame having wire guiding means therein, a stretcher mounted in and rotatable about the frame, wire gripping means formed on one end of the stretcher and engaging said Wire between said guiding means, and means formed on the other end thereof to engage with the tensioned wire and hold the stretcher on the Wire independently of the frame.

2. In a device of the character described, a frame having a handle by which it may be manually held, and provided with means for guiding a wire loosely therethrough, a stretcher consisting of a bar having a winding pin at one end anda catch remote from said pin, said frame having a bearing opening at right angles to said guiding means, said opening being adapted to detachably receive the winding pin inserted in the path of the wire, the latter being wound upon the pin when the stretcher is revolved, said catch engaging the tensioned wire and holding the stretcher from unwinding.

3. In a device of the character described, a frame having spaced wire guiding slots therein for the passage of a wire loosely therethrough, a stretcher mounted in and rotatable about the frame, a wire gripping pin on the inner end of the stretcher, and engaging the said wire between said slots, and means formed on the outer end of the stretcher to catch the wire and hold the stretcher on the wire when the frame has been removed.

L. In a device of the character described, a frame having a handle by which it may be manually held and having means for guiding the wire loosely therethrough, a stretcher mounted in and rotatable about the frame, said stretcher acting as a combined crank and winding drum, a wire gripping pin at the bearing end of the stretcher, and a catch at the other end, said catch being adapted to engage the wire and hold the stretcher on the wire when the frame has been removed from the Wire.

5. In a device of the character described, a frame having wire guiding slots, a bearing provided in said frame between the slots, a stretcher rotatable in the bearing at one of its ends, said stretcher being in the form of a crank, a wire engaging means on the bearing end of the stretcher, on which end the wire is wound and an independent wire engaging means on the other end, the said ends being both offset at right angles to the main part of the stretcher, and the said independent wire engaging means being adapted to catch the wire and hold the stretcher on the wire when the frame has been removed from the wire.

6. In a device of the character described, a frame having a handle and wire guiding means at the end of the handle, a bearing provided in said frame at right angles to said guiding means, a stretcher rotatable in sald bearing at one of its ends, said stretcher acting as a combined crank and winding drum, a wire engaging means on the bearing end of the stretcher, and a catch on the other end, the Wire guiding means permitting the removal of the frame from the Wire Without disturbing the stretcher, the catch being adapted to engage the Wire and hold the stretcher on the Wire under the influence of the wire tension when the frame has been removed from the Wire.

7. In a device of the character described, a frame having spaced Wire guiding means and a bearing provided in said frame between said guiding means, a stretcher hav- Oopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the bearing end of the stretcher, and a catch provided on the other end and adapted to engage the Wire and hold the stretcher on the Wire under the influence of the Wire tension when the frame has been removed from the Wire.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

C. J. H. PENNING.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

